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International Students

Approximately 40% of students at the Yale School of Music
come from countries other than the United States.

Resources for international students

There are many resources at Yale to help international students with any questions or concerns they may have about life as a student at Yale or living in a new country. There are offices and services to help answer international students’ questions about immigration matters, working as a student at Yale, adjusting to life in the U.S., and all other personal matters and concerns.

The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) and International Center for Yale Students and Scholars coordinate a number of programs that provide international students, scholars, and family members with fun and interesting activities and opportunities to connect with the local community. The idea is to help students learn more about U.S. culture, improve their language skills, and make new cross-cultural exchanges and friendships. There are programs to help international students with business and personal matters. There are also a wide variety of cultural and social activities. Here are some of the upcoming events.

Additionally, the McDougal Graduate Student Center has resources and programs that are specifically designed for international students enrolled in Yale’s various graduate programs. The staff and graduate fellows at the McDougal Center plan special events: foreign language film screenings, social events and outings, workshops on various issues like safety and tax preparation, professional development seminars, and more. More information can be found here.

International students at Yale

The student body at Yale School of Music represents 26 countries, 5 continents, and 101 institutions. Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences enrolls approximately one-third of its full-time students from countries outside the U.S. Yale University is committed to serving the global community and has established a variety of resources for international students, including the “Yale and the World” website with videos (available in several languages) about Yale’s history and campus life.

Student Employment

A list of some current student employment opportunities at Yale School of Music can be found here.

In addition to gigs and performance jobs, there are various employment opportunities available at the School of Music: jobs as ushers and stage managers ($12/hr); concert office jobs ($13/hr or $13.50/hr); class players for recording classes ($25/hr); conducting seminar musicians ($18/hr); and teaching jobs including the undergraduate lessons program and the Teaching Artists program ($25/hr). Student workers are also hired for audio recording classes. Additionally, teaching assistants are needed for hearing classes, and those hired receive a stipend. The Yale Philharmonia employs assistants as well (librarian, stage crew, and office assistant).

International students are eligible for any of these employment opportunities, as long as the proper paperwork is filed. International students are not eligible for “work study” positions. OISS has detailed information about employment authorization and information about on-campus and off-campus employment for F-1 students.

The TOEFL is required for all applicants whose first language is not English. Official score reports must be sent directly from ETS; note that TOEFL scores are only valid within two years of the test date. All applicants must send in a TOEFL score by December 1, regardless of whether or not the score is passing. It is possible to be offered a live audition with a score below the minimum. However, Yale School of Music will not extend an offer of admissions to any student who has not met our TOEFL requirement before March 1 of that application cycle.

Students whose first language is English are automatically exempt from this requirement. Students whose first language is not English wishing to be considered for an exemption must follow the exemption instructions below.

You may request a TOEFL waiver if you have studied at English-speaking institutions full-time for six (6) years or more. This means six years prior to beginning school at Yale. Waiver requests should be made online as part of the online application and include the following: 1) a short description of your education history, and 2) copies of your university, high school, and/or middle school transcripts that show six (6) years or more of strong grades at English-speaking schools.

Please note that TOEFL waivers are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed for those who have studied at English-speaking schools for six or more years. Uploaded transcripts must show strong academic performance and significant coursework in areas other than music performance.